Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Innocence of Holden

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The Innocence of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye

In J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, spends several days wandering around New York. During this time, he learns many things about himself. He seems to have some sort of mental problem, but this problem fortunately begins to be less serious by the end of the story. But more interesting that the things he knows about himself are the things he does not know about himself. Holden is constantly holding children on a pedestal and dismissing adults as "phonies." Holden, though he does not know it, subconsciously protects the innocence of childhood within his mind.

Holden also reminisces about his younger brother, Allie, who has passed away. He views his brother, at times, as a god. When he is walking down Fifth Avenue, he is afraid that he will fall off the curb every time he reaches the end of a block and will die, so he prays to Allie:

Then I started doing something else. Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie." And then when I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I'd thank him. (198)

This quote shows how Holden feels about Allie. Holden views his brother as an image of perfection, since he is dead and Holden cannot see any of Allie's flaws. Allie died at the age of ten, and Holden thus sees him as dying while he was still an innocent child. Since Holden has no contact with children other than his sister Phoebe, who herself has an urgent desire to become an adult, Holden idolizes Allie. He protects his brother as an image of innocence that he will forever be able to remember.

Finally, Holden remembers the times in his childhood that he spent at the Museum of Natural History. He thinks of the many trips that he took there with his class in elementary school. He remembers how the museum was always the same every time he

Holden identifies with, yearns for, and despises traits of the adult and child realms. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, fears becoming an adult who exhibits the characteristics that he holds complaints against. Throughout this Bildungsroman narrative, Holden searches for his identity. He tries to figure out his place either in the adult or child realm.
Holden possesses a combination of fear and hatred for "phonies". Holden uses…

their extraordinary sense of plays. Postmodern literature comments upon itself and uses images from the past fearlessly. Fiction writers of this period allow for multiple meanings and multiple worlds in their works. This can be seen in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger.
Jerome David Salinger was the son of a Jewish father, Sol Salinger, and a Christian mother, Miriam Jillich Salinger. He was born on January 1, 1919 in New York City, and died on January 27, 2010 in Cornish, New Hampshire…

In The Catcher in The Rye, by J.D, the main character, Holden, can be seen as a troubled teenager growing up in a less than perfect society. Throughout the novel Holden struggles with the fact that many young and innocent kids will grow up and see the world from a different perspective. He naturally becomes worried for all future generations who will one day grow, as he did, and loose their innocence. The fixation of youth and innocence can be seen in the title of the book, as well as throughout…

Alexa Noelle
Mrs. Mow
American Studies
27 March 2012
Analysis of Holden Caulfield
Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye Holden sees the world as an evil and corrupt place, however it is clear that he gradually comes to the conclusion he cannot change it. The first instance demonstrating Holden’s progression is when he sees the profanity written all over Phoebe’s school. In this moment he finally understands that it is inevitable to enter adulthood and realizes the impossibility to try…

The Metamorphosis of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye
Without love and guidance, young people often find themselves lost; unsure of what direction their lives are headed. Such is the case with Holden Caulfield, a character from the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Holden is a sixteen-year old boy who has lost his way. Hold has suffered a great loss, the death of his Brother, Allie.
Holden is trying to reconcile his emotions since Allie's death. While…

the reader. In The Catcher in the Rye, there are several themes that can be found in the words and actions of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. The dominating theme in this novel is the preservation of innocence, especially of children. We can see this throughout the novel, as Holden strives to preserve innocence in himself and others.
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s outlook in life is either the innocence of childhood or the cruelty of adulthood. He believes that the innocence of childhood is…

story. In The Catcher In the Rye, Holden says that his dream job would to be the catcher in rye. This is significant to the story because of how Holden feels that adults are trying to ruin the innocence of children, and how he can be the one that saves them. Holden then realizes he cannot always be the one to save the children. This is show throughout the book but especially in the scene where Holden takes Phoebe to the carousel.This shows that Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye so that he can…

motifs. The character, Holden Caulfield is alienated from society, is experiencing the painfulness of growing up, thinks that the adult world is full of phoniness, and is sick of hearing about the American Dream from his teachers. JD Salinger has created a book that has raised plenty of questions and controversy towards the readers. The Catcher in the Rye shows how a teenage mind works. JD Salinger has used a stream of consciousness writing style where the character (Holden Caulfield) talks in first…

Relationships with Holden in The Catcher in the Rye
‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is written from a first person narrative to
be able to convey to the reader Holdens thoughts and feelings and this
makes his character seem more believable. Holden describes what he
himself sees and experiences, providing his own commentary on the
events and people he describes. It takes the form of, perhaps, a
session with a psychoanalyst or a one sided conversation with the
reader during which Holdens attitudes to other…

Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden Caufield longs for intimacy with other human beings. One of Holden’s main problems is that he sees childhood as the ideal state of being. He thinks that all adults are phonies.
One of the first relationships that is mentioned in the story, is Holden’s relationship with D.B., his brother. Throughout his childhood, it is obvious that Holden has idolized his older brother. Now that D.B. is a writer for Hollywood, Holden considers him a phony,…